Women's Baseball in the 20th Centry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women's Baseball in the 20th Centry - Essay Example However, the name All-American Girls Professional Ball League (AAGPBL) eventually stuck due to its popularity. The league was later purchased in 1950, and a Player's Association introduced in 1986, which was soon followed by recognition through induction of the girls in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. One of the major issues facing the new league was its hybrid status between softball and baseball, so rules of both games had to be incorporated and modified, including ball size, pitching techniques, number of players, but mostly in order to level the gender differences for the sake of interest. The new rules were drafted by Jack Sheehan of the Chicago Cubs, Vern Hernlund, supervisor of recreation for the Chicago Parks Department, and Ken Sells. Then they scouted the U.S and Canada for talented female softball players, and the response was phenomenal, as literally hundreds of women wanted to join the League. The field was narrowed to 60 women who formed the first professional baseball League. Each team included a female chaperone, plus a famous male sports figure as their manager. It was